Kirk Herbstreit Stands Firm With ESPN Amid SEC Bias Accusations

ESPN College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit pushed back on claims that his network favors the SEC during a Thursday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, and he raised the topic himself while previewing a packed Week 4 slate.

"People can say whatever they want about ESPN or anybody," Herbstreit said. "I guess the AP poll is biased, the coaches poll." He made the remark while talking about No. 4 Ole Miss, which visits No. 21 Florida on Saturday.

What did Kirk Herbstreit say?

No one on the show asked Herbstreit about ESPN or SEC bias. A host asked how he saw Iowa at Michigan playing out.

He broke down that game and Oregon at USC. Then he reacted to an on-screen graphic of the Week 4 games and brought up Ole Miss on his own.

"Look at that slate," Herbstreit said. "Finally, we got some games. This is life in the SEC."

After his line about potential bias from ESPN and in the polls, the GameDay analyst added, "The reality is Ole Miss played in the game of a lifetime, and now they have a bigger game this week and a more challenging game this week going to the Swamp."

College GameDay SEC bias debate

Kirk Herbstreit Stands Firm With ESPN Amid SEC Bias Accusations — USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

His comment came during a week when ESPN's pregame show drew criticism for its early-season locations. College GameDay will broadcast from an SEC campus for the fourth straight week when No. 1 Texas visits No. 14 Tennessee at noon ET on ABC.

The show opened the season at LSU for Clemson's visit and then went to Texas for Ohio State's visit. In Week 3, it went to Oxford, Mississippi, for LSU at Ole Miss.

A Front Office Sports post on Instagram laid out the SEC location trend and drew more than 17,500 likes. Fans who see bias point to money. ESPN and the SEC began a 10-year deal in 2024, and it's worth about $300 million per year.

Critics also point to the Big Ten games GameDay skipped this week. No. 20 Oregon visits No. 12 USC at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC, and No. 17 Iowa visits No. 18 Michigan at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

Why does Ole Miss at Florida matter?

Ole Miss beat LSU 32-24 last Saturday in Lane Kiffin's first game back in Oxford since he left for LSU. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss threw for 363 yards and two touchdowns, and he ran for the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter. The game drew nearly 11 million viewers.

Florida is also 3-0 after a 44-39 road win at Auburn under first-year coach Jon Sumrall.

"Florida is playing out of their mind," Herbstreit said. "They're putting up points that would make Steve Spurrier proud."

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville. Both teams are 1-0 in SEC play, and the all-time series is tied 13-13-1.

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